Last weekend saw huge demonstrations in Spain against the labour reforms in Spain that the ruling PP (‘Conservative’ ) party have fast tracked through Spain’s legislature.  The protests were predictable, as furious private sector employees throughout the country saw their employment rights changed for the worse. In short, the changes are as follows: Before t […]

So, 2011 was officially the worst year for property sales since the Spanish property crash began in early 2008.  Sales were down 20% compared to 2010, which means they were almost 60% down from the halcyon days of 2007. Of course, this is no surprise given the parlous nature of the Spanish economy and the […]

So, what are the top four tourist attractions in Spain – the ones that have the most visitors per year? Well, as of 2011, they were: 1.  The City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia (3.7 million visitors). 2.  The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona (3.2 million visitors). 3.  The Prado in Madrid (2.9 million visitors). […]

The Canaries have long been associated with package tourism.  But whilst some of the larger islands such as Gran Canaria and Tenerife bear the scars of over development Lanzarote, located just 80 miles off the coast of Africa, has managed to retain much of its original identity intact.  Thanks largely to the enormous influence exerted […]

The season that lies ahead in 2012 will be our sixth full year of operation, and we are looking forward to a year of welcoming back previous guests as well as meeting new ones for the first time.  The New Year period has already been and gone and was a busy time for us, with […]

Penya Roja Climbing Lodge is a beautiful and spacious country home, located just minutes from two of the Costa Blanca’s best climbing rocks, Gandia Crag and El Bovedon or an easy drive to any of the Rock climbing sites on the Costa Blanca. Your hosts , Nigel and Mark, run the Penya Roja Climbing Lodge […]

Spain is not just about sun, sea and sangria, it’s about the Moors, the Reconquest, El Cid, Hernan Cortes, the Conquistadors, the Golden Age, Don Quijote, the Camino de Santiago, Flamenco, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, paella, seafood, the Alhambra, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Velazquez, Goya, Murillo, Andres Segovia, Joaquin Rodrigo, Carmen, Napoleon, Wellington, th […]

Many people are seeking alternatives to the seaside resort holiday that is centred around lots of sunshine and doing as little as possible except maybe reading a book on the beach or around a swimming pool.  Pleasant as that prospect may be, spending two weeks with nothing else on the agenda can become a little […]

Last week we were pleased to welcome a couple from Edinburgh who had booked to stay with us for a week of late summer sunshine. Brian and Ruth are keen hill walkers and hikers, and wanted to spend some time in nice weather preparing themselves for a walking challenge that awaited them after their return […]

The delights of Gandía and its advantages and attractions as a holiday destination or as a place to live will be highlighted in the hugely popular travel programme “A Place in the Sun” on Channel 4 at 11.00am GMT (12.00 midday Spanish time). This is the first time that the Gandía area has featured in […]

Gandía is a great place to come for an outdoor holiday at any time of the year. There truly is a wide range of sporting and outdoor events to participate in, and it really doesn’t matter about your level of expertise either – there is something to suit beginners and experts alike in almost every […]

Penya Roja de Marxuquera (Gandia Crag) is divided into 7 Sectors 1 critic(15m) , 2 Pis(20m) 3 Hidraulics(15-20m), 4 Vici(25-40m), 5 Fundicio(20m), 6 Potent(25m), 7 Final(15m) El Bovedon – This cave gives some superb hard routes which should make the Costa Blanca more attractive to climbers operating in the upper grades. It faces east and […]

The Gandia area is known as La Safor and is a gorgeous area located on the mid-eastern seaboard of Spain, almost adjacent to the Balearic Islands and just below Valencia (Spain’s third largest city).  La Safor is on the cusp of the northern Costa Blanca and the southern part of the Costa del Azahar.  The […]